Thousands of unsafe homes in Derby, report says

The council said fixing the problems would save the NHS money

Nearly 12,000 homes in Derby pose a serious health risk to people living there, a new council report has estimated.

A health impact assessment by Derby City Council examined privately-rented and owned properties.

It concluded 11,850 homes - about 13.4% of the total - had at least one of the most serious category of health hazard.

These were damp, mould, excess cold and falls in the home caused by structural defects.

The report coincides with a coroner in Rochdale finding a two-year-old boy died from a respiratory condition caused by exposure to mould in his home.

The report said 18.7% of privately-owned or rented homes in Normanton had at least one serious hazard

Derby City Council's study found Normanton and Chaddesden had the highest proportion of homes with the most serious health risks.

Properties rented out by social housing providers did not form part of the report.

It recommended closer working between the NHS, council and other partner organisations to help support residents.

The Renter's Reform Bill also provided fresh opportunities to force landlords to address issues, the report added.

Councillors are due to discuss the findings at a cabinet meeting later.

Derby City Council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "The evidence in this report puts us in a strong position to facilitate discussions with government regarding additional resources and powers in the future to tackle the issues identified."